Trail Blazers Blog

Whitmire: Education, social services deserve billions, too, from state savings

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks with Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, in the June 2011 special session.

Update at 12:56 p.m.: We’ve corrected the third paragraph, which in the original post misstated Perry and leaders’ position that rainy-day dollars should NOT be used recurring expenses. Also, sharp-eyed readers have reminded us that last week, three Democratic senators filed two bills that would draw down $4 billion to undo last session’s cuts to basic school aid, $500 million for college financial aid and the $50 million that would be needed in 2014-2015 as the state match for expanding Medicaid and drawing down $4 billion of additional federal money. You can read about those bills here.

Original item at 12:20 p.m.: The dean of the Texas Senate, a Democrat, is questioning why state GOP leaders won’t draw down rainy-day dollars to undo some of last session’s budget cuts to public schools and social services.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, sparred Monday with Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, over the Republican leadership’s willingness to spend $2 billion from the rainy day fund to jump-start water supply projects — and perhaps an equal amount for roads and bridges.

Gov. Rick Perry and key GOP legislative chieftains oppose using the money to ease 2011′s cuts to education, Medicaid, early childhood intervention programs to make sure kids are ready for school and programs designed to prevent child abuse. The Republican governor and the leaders say the rainy day fund should be used only for “one-time expenditures,” not recurring expenses.

But Whitmire questioned that thinking, as the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Matters heard Fraser’s bill to spend $2 billion of state savings on water projects.

“Water is a critical need, but what about education? … Would you support a one-time expenditure for education,” he asked Fraser.

Fraser replied, “Education’s not addressed in this bill.”

Whitmire countered, “Education might be even a higher priority” than water.

Fraser, who heads the Senate’s natural resources panel, said he no longer sits on the budget-writing Finance Committee, implying he no longer has to assess the entire spectrum of state needs.

“I have tunnel vision,” Fraser said.

Whitmire said social services and education perhaps ought to be first in line.

“What about the rainy day fund and a one-time expenditure for the needy and those most dependent on our services?” he asked.

Fraser noted that Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman, R-Flower Mound, sits on the Finance subcommittee and was listening.

“I’m very confident that the fine chairman [Nelson] will move to addressing the needs of the people of the state …, but the bill that I’m addressing today … .”

Whitmire cut him off in mid sentence, saying:

“Is there any way we could call those two subjects some kind of ‘water consideration’?”

Fraser: “I believe this bill very clearly says this is a transfer for water.”

Comptroller Susan Combs has said the rainy day fund should have $8.1 billion by Sept. 1, if lawmakers spend none of the money this session. By September 2015, the fund, which consists mostly of oil and gas severance tax revenue, would have about $11.8 billion if there are no draw-downs, Combs said.

Conservative Republicans say it’s important to keep a big cushion in the fund to impress Wall Street bond rating houses that Texas has its financial house in order.

However, teachers and advocates for the poor who want to undo some of last session’s $12 billion in cuts note that rating houses Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s Investors Service haven’t downgraded their ratings of Texas’ bonds since 2002. And that’s true, they say, even though five to 10 years ago, lawmakers at times virtually exhausted the rainy day fund on spending for such “ongoing” things as creating the Texas Enterprise Fund, one of Perry’s pet economic developments program.

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The blog for the Dallas Morning News politics team tracks Dallas Fort Worth area, Texas and national campaigns.